


The Light at the End of the Tunnel (is a Train)

by punk_ass_elf



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Battle of New York (Marvel), Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 14:26:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16766911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_ass_elf/pseuds/punk_ass_elf
Summary: Bucky Barnes's life was an unmitigated shit show.No, really. That's it. No joke or quip. No funny story. His life was a fucking Disaster. Capital “D" and all.





	The Light at the End of the Tunnel (is a Train)

**Author's Note:**

> I fucking love Modern!Bucky/Cap!Steve and I just had to write my own.
> 
> Listen, I know little to nothing about emergency clean up after disastrous events. I watch a lot of TV and I'm basing everything on that soooo yeah. 
> 
> I'll try to keep up with this but I'm in grad school and that sucks the life out of me more days than not.

Bucky Barnes's life was an unmitigated shit show.

No, really. That's it. No joke or quip. No funny story. His life was a fucking Disaster. Capital “D" and all.

Bucky had been born on March 10 during a truly terrible storm in Brooklyn. His mom loved him, sure, but that didn't make up for his dad's constant drinking and snide comments. It didn't stop him from using his son as a punching bag.

When he was 3, his sister Rebecca was born. He loved his sister as well, but she'd been really sick. She'd been born with a hole in her heart and a lackluster immune system. This meant a lot of time at the doctors and in the hospital and worrying about Becca. This meant money was tight and his parents were stressed. And when dad was stressed, he picked up the bottle…

Becca got better. Had surgery to fix her heart. As she grew and the doctors figured out the medicines she needed, she didn't get sick as often. And she loved her brother. She was gonna be so upset when she found out.

Fuck. Where was I going with this? … a shit show! Terrible, terrible, awful, no-good, very bad life.

Bucky was shy. Sure, he could put on a mask and be all smiles and nice comments and that left a nice 20-minute gap between school and his mom getting home to collapse and cry and shake until all the nerves he had built up all day left him. Becca knew and she kept her mouth shut because Bucky asked her to.

Puberty happened. That was awful but hardly unique to him. He learned he was gay and his father's view on that came straight out of the 1920s, so Bucky kept it to himself. Bucky was on the football team and the wrestling team because if he told his father he wanted to dance he'd be on the sidelines with a broken bone or 2 and unable to fully open his left eye for a week. (Learned that one the hard way freshman year of high school.)

Bucky went to college with a full ride. Told his mom he was gay and lived every nightmare he'd had since he was 14 when he realized his father was there and had heard every word. Winnie and Becca kept his dad from beating the shit out of him but when he got dropped off at his dorm that was it. Don't come home. Don't call home. You're no son of mine. What an ass.

But Bucky finally got to be out. Met an older guy. Became his boyfriend. Experienced lackluster sex for the first time. Thanks, Brock. Moved in with a guy. Got beat half to death by a guy. Thanks again, Brock.

And finally Bucky graduated top of his engineering class and got an internship at Stark Industries. Things were looking up.

Except, nope. Nice things did not last for Bucky Barnes. There was a hole in the sky. There were aliens attacking New York. Oh, and a piece of a building was currently pinning Bucky to the ground via his left arm. Really at this point why did he even bother to hope.

He could scream for help but that would just make him one more screaming person and no one was coming right now anyway. Maybe he should just close his eyes, go to sleep and let it happen. Bad terrible shitty life, start to end.

Turns out buildings are heavy, though. It must be pinching him just right that even though his arm had been numb for hours now, everything attached to his arm and not under a building was burning. An awful pain that kept him wide awake and aware as people around him were dying and later as the crews came in and started to pull them out. He could yell now. Maybe. His tongue felt heavy and dry. Too big for his mouth. And his voice shriveled and died before it really got anywhere, trapped in his throat and muffled by the concrete around him. Finally, black crept into his vision and unconsciousness claimed him.

***

Steve was helping with the cleanup following the Chitauri attack. Stark had scoffed when Steve went to leave the Tower that morning, but Steve knew he could help and that meant he should help. He was helping the emergency crews dig bodies out of the rubble. With his strength they didn't need to wait for the heavy machinery being moved in from around the city. He was taking a break and surveying the area when he heard it. Barely a whisper but it was there. Moving toward the noise, he paused every few steps until he heard it again. Finally stopping in front of a rather large pile of rubble Steve saw something that made his blood feel like ice. Sticking out of the rubble was a hand… and it was moving.

“Hey! I need EMTs over here now!” he yelled to the others working clean up. He pointed to the hand, “I've found someone. Looks like they're still alive!”

As the female EMT got closer her eyes widened, taking in the extremely large pile of rubble and the almost white, twitching hand protruding from it. A couple of other members of the emergency crew came over to start discussing the logistics of freeing the person buried. Steve would love to just start hauling rocks away, but it had been explained to him almost first thing that morning how ill advised and dangerous going in without a plan could be.

“I'm not getting any sort of consistent heartbeat from this hand. If the person under there _is_ still alive chances are it's going to have to be amputated.” The EMTs looked pale and concerned.

“Help me.” Steve looked around to see who spoke or if anyone else had heard that voice. “Hello?” The voice was faint, wheezy. Could it be the owner of the hand? Steve approached the EMTs.

“Do you hear someone talking?” he asked them both. They looked at him and shook their heads.

“Please… I don't want to die.”

Steve knelt down next to one of EMTs, as close to the source of the voice as he could.

“If you're awake under there, we’re trying to figure out a way to get all this off of you without crushing you further.” Steve used his soft _I'm here to help_ voice hoping that it would reassure the poor soul buried under a good portion of skyscraper.

A loud inhale and then, “Thank you.” It was slightly louder than the previous statements, enough so that the female EMT he was next to jerked.

“Hey!” she shouted at the others who were working out the logistics to get this guy. “He's awake under here! You guys got a plan yet?!”

She also motioned toward Steve. When he clearly didn't do what she wanted, she shoved lightly at his shoulder. “I'm gonna ask him some questions but you stick close by. You clearly can hear him better than us.”

*** 

Buck could cry. Probably would later if he lived through this. It was hot and dusty under all the building pieces and it burned his throat with every breath. He could hear people moving around but ever time he tried to talk, he breathed in more concrete dust.

_Hello. Help me. Please. I don't want to die. Please. Hello. Please. Help._

He could hear the shouting. They found someone else. Good. But also bad because it meant they hadn't found him. He hurt. Everything hurt. Breathing hurt. Bleeding hurt. Seeing hurt. Hearing hurt.

_Help. Hello. Please. I don't want to die._

Suddenly he heard someone right next to him. They had a nice voice. Soft. Kind. “If you're awake under there, we’re trying to figure out a way to get all this off of you without crushing you further.”

Oh god. It was him. They found him. He could cry but for an entirely different reason. Bucky sucked in some air.

“Thank you.”

More yelling and some talking before the voice came back.

“What your name?”

“Bu-buc-buck" he wheezed, more dust than air in his lungs at this point.

“Ok, Buck.” A female voice cut in. “I need you to tell me if you can feel your left hand.”

He shook his head _No. It's the only part of me that doesn't hurt. Is that bad? That’s probably bad. Don't cut if off. Please. Please. It's my arm. Please._

The soft voice came back, “Breathe Buck. It's okay. We're going to get you out but you gotta stay calm for us ok? We won't take your arm.”

*** 

“You can't tell him that!” the EMT hissed, grabbing at Steve's arm.

“Would you rather he keep panicking?” he hissed back. The other emergency workers were approaching.

“We think we have a plan.” They had scanners that had been thrust into Steve's arms as he exited the Tower. Apparently, they showed the exact layout of the rubble. Stark scoffed at Steve coming out to help, but his tech was still critical in them digging people out safely.

Showing Steve one of the scanners, they highlighted the rocks Steve would need to move to get Buck free. “The thing is when you move this rock,” said one of the workers pointing at the image, “it's might shift onto his arm more.”

“But if we don't try he'll definitely lose it.” Interjected one of the others. Steve nodded, kneeling down next to the man's arm once more.

*** 

“Hey Buck. We've got a plan to get you out. We're gonna move the rubble but it could mean that the bit on your arm will shift into a worse position. But it's the best way to get you out of here.”

He could feel the panic in his veins but what was the alternative? He'd heard the guy. If they don't get him out now, he'll definitely lose his arm.

“Okay. Please. I want to get out of here!” _I wanna go home. I want my mom. I want Becca. Please. Please don't leave me here._

“We won't leave until we get you out.” The kind male voice said. Bucky could hear people moving around and then a loud ‘1, 2, 3!’ Before the rubble moved and the pain swallowed him down.


End file.
